10 tricks to make perfume last longer - The Saltworks Company Blog
Who wouldn’t love to smell great all day? Our fragrance outstanding concentration can certainly help, but you may want to extend the longevity even further. Saltworks perfumes last anywhere from 6 to even 12 hours depending on notes - Some notes are breaking quicker and even increased concentration won't help. Most people don’t realize there are best practices for applying fragrance, many of which make a perfume last longer.
For example, if you keep your perfumes in the bathroom or on a display shelf, you’re not storing them correctly. Here we’ll cover some tips and best practices for getting the most out of your perfume — both for wearing it and storing it.
The first step is choosing a perfume that's right for you. Perfumes come in many different forms: eau de toilette and eau de parfum and eau de cologne. The difference between these is that eau de parfum (Usually about 15-20%) has more concentrated ingredients than eau de toilette(10-15%) and eau de cologne(anywhere from 2 - 10%) has the lowest concentration of them all - usually called "Body Mists" and of course, there is Parfum by The Saltworks Company where we use 25%; therefore choosing a higher concentration makes your perfume lasts longer on your skin. If you're looking for something with staying power (in other words, something that won't wear off quickly), then go with at least eau de parfum.
Let's explore how you can make your perfume last even longer.
1: Apply to your pulse points
There are several different ways to apply perfume effectively, but one method that works well is to spray it on pulse points (also called heat points) instead of all over your body. These include areas where blood vessels are close to the surface: wrists, neck and behind ears. Applying fragrance here ensures that more heat gets transferred into the blood vessel, thus releasing more scent into the air around you as you go about your day
2: Apply right after your shower.
After a shower, your skin is clean and smooth. It's the perfect time to apply perfume.
Applying perfume after a shower can make it last longer. It's best to apply perfume right after you shower and dry off. This way, the moisture on your skin will help the fragrance last all day.
3: Make sure skin is moisturized before application.
Applying unscented lotion before you spritz on your perfume will moisturize your skin and lock in your fragrance better. Applying perfume straight to dry skin will cause the scent to evaporate quickly, and won't give you the long-lasting effect that you're looking for.
4: Spray onto bare skin.
Keep fabric and clothing from obstructing your fragrance. Perfume smells best and lasts the longest when able to meld with the natural oils of your body.
5: Apply a small layer of Vaseline to your pulse points before applying.
If you need some extra life out of your perfumes, rub a small layer of Vaseline onto your pulse points before spraying. The balm will act as an additional moisturizing lock for the scent, helping it last even longer.
6: Don’t rub the fragrance in.
It is a very common practice, however false - Rubbing your wrists together breaks down the chemicals and causes top notes to break down faster than they would have otherwise. If you can’t spray your fragrance, gently dab it on your skin.
7: Store your perfume in a cool, dark place.
The worst place for keeping a fragrance is actually the bathroom, even though it's somewhat logical as it is where most people get ready for their day. Because of the changes in temperature (while showering, for example) and high humidity, it is practically a graveyard for fragrance.
Instead of storing your scents in the bathroom, keep it in a cool drawer away from direct sunlight, Ultimately, all experts including Saltworks Perfumers recommend the fridge for storing fragrances. Why?
Because the fridge maintains a stable temperature — and keeps the perfume away from light and heat — it's the best way to avoid oxidation or chemical degradation. In especially humid or hot places, the natural oils and essences in your fragrance can start coagulating as they break down. If the alcohol and water inside evaporates, you will be left with a syrupy sediment inside (which you definitely don't want).
8: Spray fragrance onto your hairbrush and brush through your hair.
If you want some extra scent in your hair, you can spray it on your brush and run it through dry hair. Don’t spray directly onto your hair, as the alcohol in many perfumes can cause damage.
9: Keep your perfume in its original bottle.
While this process is somewhat outdated, some people still like to store their perfume in separate, fancy bottles. While this might look sophisticated, it will allow air to saturate your fragrance, this result in quicker breakup of perfume.
10: Buy the right strength of perfume.
Some perfumes will naturally last longer than others, both on the skin and in the bottle. Perfume, cologne and eau de toilette are simply the names for different concentrations, meaning there are different ratios of fragrance oil to alcohol.
So what type of fragrance last longer?
As we discussed above, you can buy different concentrations of perfume. The strength of the perfume you buy will determine how long it lasts on the skin. The more concentrated forms which is eau de parfum, will cost more while the less concentrated versions of the same scent, like eau de toilette or eau de cologne will cost less.
However, you can also buy perfumes that will have a longer shelf life. Perfumes with more prominent base notes will have a longer shelf life than those with prominent top notes. Base notes usually include woody or balsamic flavors as well as those with a spicier scent. If your perfume contains Woody scents such as patchouli and amber, it’s likely to have a longer shelf life.
Perfumes with lighter prominent base notes are more volatile. The more volatile your scent, the quicker it will likely expire. This includes citrus and floral scents.
If you’re unsure what notes are strongest in your perfume of choice, you can look at its scent family information at the bottom of our description. If you’re concerned about longevity, keep its prominent base notes as well as the concentration in mind when you’re ready to buy.
By using these tips you can prime your fragrance to last as long as possible. Start the process by buying the correct type of perfume for your needs. Then store it correctly and avoid doing anything that might cause the fragrance to decompose. If you’re using perfume application best practices, you will know that you’re getting the very most out of your signature scent!